{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]],"date-time":"2026-08-17T23:48:21Z","timestamp":1787010501621,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"The Royal Society","issue":"1121","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[1984,2,13]],"date-time":"1984-02-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":445478400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/royalsociety.org\/journals\/ethics-policies\/data-sharing-mining\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1984,2,13]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Otoconia are dynamic mineral deposits present in the gravity receptors of most vertebrates; fishes often have a single large mass called an otolith instead. Otoconia generally have the appearance of single crystals but contain organic and inorganic components, the mineral being almost exclusively a polymorph of calcium carbonate. The two phases are closely interrelated structurally. Ultra-high resolution transmission electron microscopy of rat otoconia showed them to be mosaic biominerals. The crystallites were 50-100 nm in diameter, had some rounded edges, and were highly ordered into laminae. This suggests that crystallite seeding and growth is organic matrix mediated. Crystallite asymmetry may also indicate piezoelectricity. A further finding of similarities in electron beam diffraction patterns obtained from some frog and rat otoconia could mean that the calcite of mammalian units mimics aragonite. A comparative study showed that turtles, which are close to the stem line for mammals, had calcite-type otoconia in the utricle. Alligators, which share a common ancestry with birds, had this type otoconium in all three gravity receptors, although saccular otoconia had a variety of forms. The nature of the mineral is unknown. The biochemical composition of the organic otoconial material is under study, to learn how mineral deposition is regulated. Proteins of rat otoconial complexes ranged between ca. 16 500 and over 100 000 Da in molecular mass and were similar in saccular and utricular otoconial complexes. Our new analysis of the amino acid composition of the complexes by high performance liquid chromatography showed the complexes to be high in the acidic and low in the basic amino acids. This is comparable to what has already been reported for other biomineralized materials that contain calcite.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.1984.0038","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2006,12,18]],"date-time":"2006-12-18T17:33:09Z","timestamp":1166463189000},"page":"445-452","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":61,"title":["Some properties of otoconia"],"prefix":"10.1098","volume":"304","author":[{"given":"Muriel D.","family":"Ross","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, U.S.A."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kenneth G.","family":"Pote","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, U.S.A."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"175","reference":[{"key":"p_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Angmar-Mansson B. 1971 A quantitative microradiographic study on the organic matrix of developing human enamel in relation to the mineral content. Arch oral Biol. 16 135-145.","DOI":"10.1016\/0003-9969(71)90101-4"},{"key":"p_2","first-page":"168","article-title":"Autoradiographic visualization of in vitro exchange in teeth, bones, and other tissues, under various conditions. J. dent","volume":"32","author":"Belanger L. F.","year":"1953","journal-title":"Res."},{"key":"p_3","unstructured":"Belanger L. F. i 960 Development structure and composition of the otolithic organs of the rat. In Calcification in Biological Systems (ed. Soggnaes) pp. 151-162. Washington D .C .: American Association for the Advancement of Science."},{"key":"p_4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/1539358"},{"key":"p_5","first-page":"429","article-title":"Changes in the ash, water, and organic content of pig enamel during calcification. J. dent","volume":"21","author":"Deakins M.","year":"1942","journal-title":"Res."},{"key":"p_6","first-page":"1","article-title":"Molecular mechanisms on carbonate, phosphate, and silica deposition in the living cell. Topics curr","volume":"64","author":"Degens E. T.","year":"1976","journal-title":"Chem."},{"key":"p_7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0003-2697(71)90248-X"},{"key":"p_8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1042\/bj0930202"},{"key":"p_9","unstructured":"Glimcher M. J. Mechanic G. L. & Friberg U. A. 1964 bThe amino acid composition of the organic matrix and"},{"key":"p_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"the neutral-soluble and acid-soluble components of embryonic bovine enamel. Biochem. J. 93 198-202.","DOI":"10.1042\/bj0930198"},{"key":"p_11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.bi.49.070180.002421"},{"key":"p_12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.7008198"},{"key":"p_13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rspb.1968.0029"},{"key":"p_14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rspb.1983.0048"},{"key":"p_15","first-page":"1037","article-title":"Amino acids of the organic matrix of neogastropod shells","volume":"40","author":"Meenakshi V. R.","year":"1971","journal-title":"Comp. Biochem. Physiol."},{"key":"p_16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.158.3799.368"},{"key":"p_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Parker S. B. Mann S. Ross M. D. Skarnulis A. J. & Williams R. J. P. 1983 A high resolution electron microscopy study of the balance organs of the inner ear. In Biomineralization and biological metal accumulation (ed. P. Westbroek and E. W. de Jong) pp. 185-189. Dordrecht Holland: D. Reidel.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-94-009-7944-4_16"},{"key":"p_18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3109\/00016487509121327"},{"key":"p_19","first-page":"816","article-title":"Electrical conductivity of proteins. II. Semiconduction in crystalline bovine hemoglobin. J. chem","volume":"36","author":"Rosenberg B.","year":"1962","journal-title":"Phys."},{"key":"p_20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1159\/000402913"},{"key":"p_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ross M. D. 1983 Gravity and cells of gravity receptors in mammals. Advances in space research vol. 3 (ed. R. Holmquist). (In the press.)","DOI":"10.1016\/0273-1177(83)90055-8"},{"key":"p_22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/000348947508400105"},{"key":"p_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ross M. D. Pote K. G. Cloke P. L. & Corson C. 1980 In vitro 45Ca++ uptake and exchange by otoconial complexes in high and low K+\/N a + fluids. Physiologist Wash. 23 (suppl.) 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